Re: [A/S] Re: towing with a big rig

["Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer" <geraldj@xxxxxxxx>]

As with any tow vehicle you have to compute on available thrust for
starting the gross combination weight on soft ground going up hill.
That's the ultimate limiting factor. Trucks used for moving vans, (18
and 24' boxes especially) have sturdy frames and its not hard (though
takes some extra steel because they are further from the ground) to have
a sturdy hitch. A lot depends on the rear axle ratio. Every pound in the
trailer should mean a pound less in the box.

There's a bit of a pain in some "moving" vans with a lot of overhang
behind the rear axle, that does not inspire lateral stability in a cross
wind or when meeting a semi on a two lane road with a 30 mph wind from
the port bow.

I'd think a consideration should be put to SEEING the RV behind the box.
Some boxes are a foot wider than the RV and so would make it hard to see
if the A/S was back there, and making back in parking places
terrifically hard to hit.

Another problem... Most states have limits on the overall length of a
truck or truck and trailer. 24' of van box, 33' of trailer, (and in SOB
3' of hitch in front of the trailer box) plus 6' of cab and 6' of engine
room totals 72' That might not fit in the total vehicle length rule or
fit in a large fraction of the available camp ground spots, to say
nothing of parking at home and getting through filling stations other
than full sized truck stops.

And that square walled box slides through the air like a bill board and
reflects radar like a bill board so has some limitations there. Some
have a bit of roundedness on the front to help these days. Still the van
box has to punch a much larger hole in the air than a relatively
miniature 1 ton dually with extended cab.

And one is unlikely to find the used box van with a lot of miles left,
unless one finds a company going out of business from mismanagement,
otherwise the company tends to not replace until potential repair costs
are greater than the cost of new. Same thing happens with school busses
to make them a very poor investment.

Gerald J.